Government
Sitemap Government in Rapture * See Also Rapture Society --- --- --- --- --- Proposed Government of New Rapture : There is no Ryan any longer to act as a central authority for things that NEED a central authority. You never realized how much Ryan actually did and organized (at least as the game seems to imply - largely improbably as part of that simpleton's story). Alot of Citizen involvement was simply missing in what SHOULD have been the running of Rapture (truly little enuf of that was presented in-game, and you are expected to believe that things just ran themselves in some Pseudo-Anarchist Fantasy). You cannot run a City without Laws. And Laws have to be enforced and conflicts handled. There would be a thousand little problems that one man (Ryan) could not possibly have enough time for. There would have to be ""agreed to" rules and ordinances and standards. Disputes (of all sizes) HAVE to be arbitrated in a complex society in an orderly way. A Libertarian system is still desired, with many unhindered Freedoms for individual achievement, with minimal government interference. But that does not preclude application of limited authority being agreed upon, institutionalized and organized. Voting to adjust the laws/ordinances (some locally) and for appointing authorities (with a process for someone appointed to preside over that voting process). Formulaic processes would be available for those who don't want to waste much time with such things (ex- lots of copies of "Robert's Rules of Order"). In New Rapture, a cruder Boomtown state exist for 'the City' because of the previous 10 years of Chaos it is emerging from. Even in the American Old West, the local people (in forming a town/district) got together to decide what laws/rules were to be understood and recognized by the local inhabitants. --- --- --- Laws ? We No Need No Stinkin Laws ... No ? : ''' Strong evidence of a Strawman in this (BS1) game to make it even SOUND like there were no Laws. It being implied : There were "No Laws" or Civic authorities to enforce Laws or official 'Social Contract' constraint of behavior. Does it seem that Rapture was implied to have Failed BECAUSE of alleged 'evils' of Capitalism, and Unrestricted Individualism (which it really couldn't have had) ?? That is instead of : Rapture developing into a situation (via the coming of ADAM and its destructively empowered insanity ), which in OUR WORLD would easily '''CRUSH OUR allegedly "More Enlightened" and "Socialist-afflicted" Law-Encrusted Civilization (Quite possibly even Easier/more Thoroughly) ??? The 'Shock' affliction of society was done in the game, (rather sloppily) to provide the needed RUINED societal state ( the "Failtopia" ) to serve as a context for a Shoot-Em-Up (slaughter-fest) game. A chaotic place where "evil" people, the "Splicers" (being valid 'Politically Correct' game targets ...) were allegedly NOT restrained, and who ran roughshod over everything, thus having sent Rapture Into the Shitter (The reader may want to look out their window ... a mirror is there for them to consider about the fragility of THEIR WORLD). Rapture's societal controls and Ryan's fortitude would/could have handled it (... was handling it) - even the ADAM scourge. Unfortunately, Ryan was denied logical actions and then conveniently (and IMO illogically) killed before he could bring about Rapture's recovery and rebirth. To start : Such a (vaguely portrayed) uncontrolled society would simply NOT make it as far as Rapture is shown to have gotten/progressed/survived. Thus this alleged wholly Uncontrolled/Unhindered Society (at the normal time preceding the Civil War, and likely much during it) was NOT and COULD NOT BE the existing societal situation in Rapture. To Exist, the place would have needed plenty of controls to be in place/operational (It had to have such controls to exist as a "City"). To the game writers, Logic and Reality were apparently not that important for them to have shown this -- to show Rapture previously REALISTICALLY existing as a Cohesive SocietyApparently the first game (BS1) had delays and rework problems - though nothing as bad as the mess that afflicted Infinite BS . We really DON'T get Flashbacks to the good times for most of the Citizens, but indirectly the game evidence does imply that the violence of the Fontaine Shootout and the Bombing at Kashmir shocked Rapturites a great deal (thus evidence that kind of thing being previously ABNORMAL/ATYPICAL in Rapture - a stable society). Was there then (on the part of the writers) their Scooby Doo level story writing --- But REMEMBER, Wasn't it "Story" that's allegedly what's supposed to be the big attribute which made BiosShock stand out among games ???? But then : the ambient level game industry product story quality ... And glowing praise the product or the game reviewers who work for magazines/websites who the game company heavily advertises in ... assumption that Civics isn't really taught in schools these days (for the typically young Players to be able to understand the real reasons/mechanisms by which Society works) Yet there's still all the high-minded 'philosophy' and clever links to 'great thinking' embedded in the story --- or at least in the interviews?? So THEY maybe figured all that expectation wouldn't happen, and it really wouldn't be noticed/realized when it was missing in the game narrative (and thus requiring no more complicated explanation beyond "Rapture's Great Individual Freedom was FLAWED, and Easily Abused and THUS 'Ruined Rapture' " )? Were the Players ASSUMED to be an audience of dumbed-down/ignorant people, who really just want to kill things ? THAT SO much of the game's setting needed little more than to cater to that mentality ? The game's presentation does little to justify Rapture's existence as being a stable place *PREVIOUS* to the calamitous events which put the City in peril and headed for Doom. SO AGAIN : No Laws to run a City ? How is that remotely possible ? Commerce on a City/Town's scale really doesn't/can't/won't operate in a state of Anarchy. Little is shown or detailed of how Rapture was organized or operated. The Central Council is the 'government' ?? Who arbitrates disagreements between Citizens ? Who sits in judgement over a criminal court ?? That tiny council shown would be swamped by a fraction of what a City of even just 20000 citizens would need on a day-to-day basis. SO, The Societal Machinery 'just happen' - with a wave of the hand ? It looks like the game writers assumed so, doesn't it - such a gap in the story? It gets Only Poorly explain with some half-assed societal system which they imply existed - showing many events for which official institutions WOULD HAVE TO play some part (but were missing). Is this ALL 'A Setup', so that when Ryan comes in to take action to Save the City, it is thus *ALL* HIS doing, and thus "*ALL* His Fault" (and THUS HE CAN SIMPLY BE LABELED A TYRANT AND MADE 'THE VILLAIN') ?? It is all a simplistically/shallow fabricated setting, defined with little logic so to frame/twist various characters/events for THE game plot. Working the story within a realistic/logical societal system is FAR harder to achieve (skill/knowledge/imagination). IT IS much much simpler for less-able writers to avoid all that difficulty, and just go on with their incomplete/implausible story happenings (to justify (force) their pre-decided 'scenes'). It IS less work to avoid the depth/research you have in a well written/composed story. SO Ryan became a 'Tyrant' ?? You might look into the things FDR and Churchill HAD DONE in quite recent prior history (during WW2). Those 'Great Men' put into effect War Measures far stronger than those Ryan had done. Ryan, in turn, had to fight Rebellion/Anarchists/Terrorists/'civil war' to protect Rapture from murderous criminals trying to destroy its order, safety, and prosperity (actually threatening its very existence.) Such an abnormal non-trivial threat is likely outside the experience and historical knowledge/understanding of most of today's Players (AND apparently the game authors as well). They likely don't understand or know how to differentiate/appreciate the realistic reasons for things happening in such a different historic setting. The Council (what little of its operation is mentioned in the game) apparently did NOT do very much (even the Novel did not highlight the obvious Deficiency about how the City government should operate). That Council certainly didn't offer many useful ideas in Rapture biggest crisis. So it was left up to Ryan to handle things. The old Roman term is 'Dictator' -- an appointed single leader during an emergency, with expanded powers and of a limited duration. To propose that Ryan really wanted to have his City NEED to have a 'Dictator', outside a emergency, is one of the stupidest ideas that could be put forth in the Game. We never hear anything about a City Charter for Rapture. That is one of the common mechanisms that defines and restricts a City Council's, or other city official's, powers. What resources the Council had control of was never really specified (much of Rapture society and organization was VAGUE and shallowly presented, and I assume thought unimportant by the writers). A real city (which Rapture was supposed to be) cannot run on Anarchy or in a government-less vacuum. Things that people themselves wouldn't pay for/own had to exist for Rapture the City to operate. Common ordinances had to be agreed upon to have a Standard which people could count on for a normal life. Basic security personnel would NEED to exist, and not just 'Security for Hire' which the game mentions a few places). We are shown (and hear mention of ) Constables. A few Splicers we see are dressed in police type uniforms (Ducky), but very little more detail is shown of that (there ARE some 'Security' offices). Flybots and the other Security machinery was a late development (most supposedly being put in place to counter the Terrorists of 'the civil war'). Security Forces wouldn't have existed (technologically), or would have been much less lethal in the City's earlier "normal" times. Making believe Rapture normally operated under a state of Anarchy is ludicrous (even if alot of its society's interactions were still to be the responsibility of 'owners' or individual citizens). A simple lesson about this : The World meeting of Anarchists being held (which happened 'real world' around 1900). Their week long proceedings never even finishing deciding on the shape of the table for the meeting or the meeting's procedural rules. Anarchy simply doesn't/cannot operate even the simplest things - certainly NOT a City. - Maybe everything in Rapture just got done by Hopes and Dreams and Memo-notes (as far as the makers of the game were concerned). Sorry, NO. It is all just part of the feeble setup to MAKE SURE the place Fails (a Failtopia so there can be lots of shooting, chaos and mayhem, AND largely empty streets). With a system like that, it is a wonder Rapture could last for 15 years, or even got built in the first place''Basic story evidence - the very existence of the place, which following Real World logic contradicts some story setting details - THIS shows lack of an overall review of writers content - something that should be done preferably BEFORE Assets are created/developed which the game company is Loath to spend additional money to CORRECT - '''MEASURE TWICE, CUT ONCE'. But then we Got : * Nice Bang-Bang guns * Blasting of things with pretty Plasmids * Simpleton Mutant/Zombie opponents to mass-slaughter * The alleged plot 'Twists' * Those alleged 'Moral Choices' THE game sales and profits did NOT require a realistic example of Civics or Logic or honest reflections of how a Society works - just a cardboard cutout 'city' behind 'those more important game things'. EXAMPLE - the Proposes Anarchist Society. Think/Imagine what would happen if YOUR Life was run in a world in a state of REAL Anarchy. You'd be little more than an animal fighting for survival, or be someone's slave (IF YOU would have any possible value for that). With YOUR likely place on the Food Chain, you would have to avoid meeting too many other people while you tried to scrape up some sustenance ( AND if you FAIL, you Die. If what you need is taken from you, you also then Die). The STRONGEST/MOST RUTHLESS will take whatever you have, so you WILL hide (even while out in a wilderness away from others). "Cooperation" will likely be YOU cooperating with what someone else orders - or else. They may kill you anyway. You are not going to 'Build a City' or do much of anything else. Your time is for nothing but SURVIVAL. Anarchy means no expectation of Laws or Rules or Agreements that you can count on (except those YOU can enforce, and there ALWAYS will be someone bigger and badder than YOU around every corner). It is not much of a formula for a working Society that maintains any kind of "City". SO NO, RAPTURE WOULD BE FAR MORE ORDERED THAN SOME IGNORANT WRITERS ENAMORED WITH COUNTER CULTURE COMIC BOOK IDEAS PORTRAYED. Civilized people don't side with bomb-throwing anarchists/terrorists. So that puts the lie to the assumption that Rapture had a 'civil war' (and makes the game's Fail plot something for a simpleton's consumption). - A point I've commonly made is : Rapture's premise (as somehow supposedly relating to the real world), should be assuming that it would be built upon real social mechanisms/conventions/stabilities existing. THOSE BEING closer to those in the times the Game setting took place (rather than Today's different times). AND THEN, as the story goes, you have THAT plausible 40s/50s Society be subjected to the unforeseen effects of ADAM, which then proceeded to overwhelm that Society. Ryan's individual's-freedom-oriented minimized-government HAD TO react in ways Ryan would rather not have wished. BUT IT WAS for an EMERGENCY and needed to prevent a destructive enemy from killing his City, and likely everyone in it. (The people of THAT time would fully understand.) Ryan's Philosophy actually provides for this : If PARASITES threaten everything you worked for, cared for, your life, and all of your Society -- THEN . YOU . DESTROY . THEM. It is Logical and fully Justified (( '' Except perhaps not to today's coddled people, who in their ignorance think their safety and prosperity just happens magically. So many have forgotten or were never taught that their Easy Lives have had a great cost - it all being something OTHER people have paid the price to achieve '' )). --- --- --- The Seedier Side of things in Rapture : Dealing with Smugglers and Illegal items: * What do WE have that they want ??? (what do they get paid with???) EVE derivative was found to have uses as a 'recreational' drug. Some gold was produced in the mining operations (and all those rich people had some valuable items). * How to be a Smuggler for fun and profit - last segment of the Contrabands journey into Rapture * Important that the ADAM technology not get to the surface as it will cause too much interest in trying to find the source. * Likewise Surface diseases and cultural contaminants threaten Rapture's stability. Criminal Elements (did you expect this to go away?) : * Getting mugged in 'less well lit' areas (incident visited on both players and NPCs - opportunity to play the hero..) * Black market ?? What illegal things do people want besides smuggled food/goods ? * Loan Sharks ? Short term loans that usually go bad * Prostitution ? * Drugs - many still not illegal, but some are - including ADAM splicing * Pirates?? Are some citizens really using their submarines to commit acts of piracy on the surface?? * Betting/bookie parlors - the slug races, Splicer fights ... * Burglaries - usually trash stuff, security measures help avoid significant losses * Pirate Radio station - the Z channel (actually was mentioned in the book - used by Atlas for propaganda) --- --- --- The Common Laws and Understandings Now in Rapture : * The Ex-Splicers pledge - I will splice no more Forever (It will probably kill you anyway). * Thou shalt not ruin another mans work. * Neither shall thou steal it * Finders Keepers - anything you haul back from the 'Wild' is yours to do with as you see fit * All that went before has been wiped clean. * Honor the 15 mph signs * One man's garbage is another man's treasure * The Great Chain has many links - all need to be strong * Think not what Rapture can do for you, but what you can do for Rapture * Ryan's Dream was bigger than Ryan * The Surface is even worse than you were told * Just DO IT (enough talk) * An Individual can open opportunities for Multitudes. * There is ALWAYS more to do * Remember those who are still in the darkness and free them as YOU were freed. * Basic utilities now, great art later. * Always wash your hands after... * Rapture was not built in a day. * Contributions to the Common Good is also to yourself (and is to be looked on positively if not Rewarded) * When you feel salt water spraying in your face, something is very wrong. * We have finally left the 'old' world and can now build the 'new'. * This game has severe ways of punishing Griefers (including locking you in jail permanently). --- --- --- City Hall/Center (the Organizing Principle of the New Rapture) : * Your Voting Rights and the City Council (they work for you, not the other way around) * Announcements of emergencies/celebrations/shortages/progress/grand openings/events * Source of civic improvement and maintenance jobs * Citizens responding to emergencies may get rewards (besides 'Prestige' which can make NPCs more friendly/cooperative) * Some simple economic 'regulation' via raising job pay for city organized 'job' activities players are avoiding (frequently for certain advanced skill sets, otherwise logical for NPCs to grab them all the time if were 'unskilled') * Centrally Coordinated 'Projects' ** Players reserve their own 'projects' areas for reclamation efforts (file a claim) ** Salvage permits for destroyed areas (areas impossible to rebuild) ** Demolition of hazardous structures and obstructions ** Systematic restoration of Utilities and expansion of the 'livable' city ** City organizes the 'big projects' - longterm needs for the City's continuance (lots of jobs) * City Resources ** City Power systems and other utilities ** Submarines don't grow on trees - hitching a ride for a little money on the side ** Subsidized new citizens - not charity, just practicality ** Power shortages and how to avoid them (keep the critical systems working) ** Meeting rooms available for private functions ** Shop rentals - encouraging commerce and competition ** City workshops where various equipment has been relocated to facilitate various projects. * Community Safety ** Pressure integrity is paramount. City Maintenance's first priority. ** The City safety system - guards/patrol bots/cameras/security posts/public awareness ** Organizing the patrols - guard job opportunities (keeping 'the wild' out of the City) ** Bounty for old Bots and all kinds of other security equipment ** Posse (citizen assistance) to handle emergencies dealing with various miscreants ** Constables and the City Watch - handling of public order, Splicers, criminals and vermin ** Fire suppression systems (volunteer fire brigades have been organized) ** Petty crimes and punishments (lots of fines for crimes that affect others) * The Pneumo doesn't Run itself (you know) ** Mail service maintained by city is indispensable ** The 'official' job of the 'Pneumo-Man' - steady work, every building has a central office - keep those tubes clear. * The Census, City Survey and Directories ('you are here' maps) ** 3D Map interface for players - getting from here to there is part of the playing skill ** Orientation and information for citizen's benefit ** Surveys/Exploration of new areas - is yet one more 'city job' ** Census/inspection/audit continually being made to assist in planning/improvements * New Citizen Dole, - bootstrapping the population (going from 'Splicer' to 'normal' is a big transition) * Paperwork - currently the institutions of Rapture haven't yet resumed their love of paperwork. For some reason most of the available paper seems to have disappeared over the years .... * Many of the things that the city council mandate "are more like guidelines rather than actual rules". * Pay Toilets (pays for the maintenance city does to provide 'service' - were in BS1/BS2 so why not this game.. (Dole tokens are accepted)) * Access control to 'celebrities' - do you want to see Tenenbaum mobbed by players 'just to see her'?? Well they should be able to see her sometimes in the operating theater 'Curing' a Splicer, but much of the rest of the time is behind locked doors. Oh and if you try to block a 'celebrity's progress in the street (a favorite griefer trick in games with NPC collision) they will call a constable on you and you will probably be hauled in to the local lockup and face a stiff fine. * McClendon's Home Computer - installed and used in City Hall to run the rent rolls and other useful processing. Fortunately a large supply of Punchcards survived the 'time of chaos'. --- --- --- Question of How 'Justice' Worked In Old Rapture (Was This Ever Explained ?) Lets take a crack at it : Constables would apprehend people seen doing a 'crime' (again the 'strawman' stupidity of declaration 'no laws' for Rapture ... We don't get much detail about how this was supposed to work - instead its implied they are mostly Ryan's thugs). The Novel really offered no enlightenment on this. But where is a Judge (if not Jury) to assess guilt and pass sentence/penalties ? Ryan's City Council would be doing nothing else (judging petty criminals) if THEY were supposed to be the arbiters... (and even then could hardly handle the number of cases there would ordinarily be). Rapture has 20000/40000 people ... Who handles all the lesser issues that come up between Citizens ??? (We will have to fill that in). Had to have something like a real set of Law Courts to handle crimes and civil cases (disputes, etc) that are bound to come up. New Rapture (in MMORPG) probably would show such a system (disputes between NPC/NPC NPC/Players would have to be formula). Courts call for Judges and advocates (Lawyers) .... >>>>>>> look up 'Objectivism' and 'libertarianisnm' to see potential systems/methods .... "the law courts, to settle disputes among men according to objectively defined laws" 'government' has monopoly of force used to maintain society (individuals counterbalance against corruption/abuse of) Final penalty would be Exile ??? Or imprisonment (Randian Objectivism didn't prefer Death Penalties for crimes). Who enforces either of these ('Exile' means not letting the exiles interact with the City where they disdained/ignored the laws) Sending them out/away might not be possible (for Rapture) if the boundaries are not run like checkpoints/containment to preserve Rapture's secrecy. Imprisonment requires expensive labor and resources -- a reason many societies used Exile or even Death as a punishment. (Ryan obviously saw the need - and I've mutated Persephone to be the City's Jail as well as a place for the Criminally Insane, as well as a place of Exile.) --- --- --- "Ryan Accuses Langford of Infringing on His Copyright of the Production and Distribution of The Lazarus Vector." Are there Copyrights/Patent laws in Rapture ?? Isn't that a flavor of government regulation anathema to Ryan's philosophy? ("make a better product" he tells someone about ADAM plasmid sideeffects) Copyright "LAWS" in Rapture when so much emphasis is put elsewhere pretending there 'Are No laws'?? (secondary -- Ryan quotes a legal contract -- if there 'are no laws' in Rapture then how can there be contractual law that is binding ??? Killing someone for breaking a gentleman's agreement ?? Duel maybe ?? Hardly a system that promotes business/commercial institutions that a working 'City' is supposed to have (and actually relies on). But then 'the plot says so' ... And if there were such law agreements there would be appropriate penalties. Is this a Capital Offense? - Langford saving her trees (Via Copyright infringement for the Lazarus Vector???) isnt quite the same as attempting to assassinate Ryan or a Smuggler potentially leading Surface enemies to Rapture (the previous reasons given for Capital Punishment). But then 'the plot says so'.... Didn't they shit-shovel the 'Ryan is bad' stuff on A LITTLE TOO THICK?? (To kill Professor Langford when he intended to have that showdown at Central Control ?? And with all that stuff on the WYK wall that showed Ryan had figured out what Fontaine's scheme was -- and in the MMORPG plot had a 'twist' of his own in mind... ??) Poison gas canister IN Langford's lab all ready to execute her at a moments notice??? When Ryan for so long could not find/prove Fontaine's huge Smuggling operation?? "The Plot says so"... The MMORPG would be a little less loose on such things (and there will be much fun/pain repairing the Canon/Lore to justify many things that happened in BS1/BS2 (and definitely NOT resorting to "Cuz the developers say so" type justification). --- --- --- Corruption in Rapture's Government ?? ''' : Well if its 5% the size of typical (period) US government, then it has 1/20th the corruption of that 'normal'. Less power of government (than even typical socialism of THAT era - far less than NOW) THEN less ability to use it for gain, and less possibility to hide it from the Public. --- --- --- '''City Hall/New Rapture City Center : In the MMORPG there will be one main 'Town' environment, concentrating the various high-end Citizen resources (and Player shops/businesses, etc..). Outlying areas and some outposts would have basic resources (plus via whatever extent of the repaired Pneumo system is operational at that point). No need for (game's) duplication of simplified economy facilities that most MMORPGs are limited to (with Players passing through routinely or congregating, AND THEN WITH all the interesting things going on there (in the center) they won't be missed). --- --- --- City Hall Information Kiosk : ' New Citizens can find themselves bewildered on awakening after being 'Cured', and they might not remember alot of what happened in Rapture or much of anything previous. * Various forms. ie- to resister a Salvage Permit (to keep people from stealing each others salvage goodies and to prevent pillaging/spoiling resources the City will later need. * Maps (basic - within City Limits) * Official Job postings * Pamphlets on just about everything (in that quaint 40s era style) --- --- '''The Great Suggestion Box (of New Rapture) : ' Gimmick originally put up by one of the TV stations which would select 'better ideas' and make them part of a show ( a relatively easy way to create filler between better content...). Allowing Anonymous suggestions can sometimes be useful, though the system can also be abused. Obviously something that could link into Player Community participation in-game. (with the usual 'vetting' with or without formulaic templating (form letter-like) of the 'Suggestion' issues/ideas). "How are you supposed to do something about a weak link in the Great Chain if nobody knows about it ?" - Johnny T --- --- --- 'Sullivan's Organization - City Constables HQ : ' * Rogues gallery of "Wanted" posters on wall (might see some posted in Jet Postal mail substations) * The 'Files' - more extensive than what we saw at 'Wharf Masters Office', though its not clear why all that is there. The investigation into Fontaine's Criminal 'empire' would be all across Rapture. * Central Communications and Dispatch office. * Armory and gun training range (much expanded after the Civil War started) * The Lockup (perps waiting for transfer later to the consolidated Jail at Persephone, or just 'to sleep it off'). * Adjacent City Coroners Office (small) - Originally done at Funeral Homes, but later after ADAM's effects that was insufficient. There were many places people who were 'on the run' could 'disappear'. Tracking down people wanted for crimes keeps the cops busy (and no, private security really can't do that very well). "No Laws" is some bizarre communist/anarchist's fantasy (Ayn Rand never said there should be 'no laws', no police, no courts, no juries... And neither does Objectivism) We saw Security Substations in various places that hint at their working details (Medical, Ryan Amusements, etc...) Video Surveillance and Remote Alarms monitoring (we saw a manned monitoring station in Ryan Amusements) The "Training Grounds" of their own ? As things built up with Fontaine, Ryan may have been willing to expand his Security forces seeing a likely future need. Sullivan himself may have organized it (City Constables), but left the 'day to day' operations to someone else. A Head Constable ? Constables conflicts with 'Private Security' and Locally arranged Police - jurisdiction issues, differences in "Ordinances", etc ... --- --- --- '''City Registry of Property -- Title of Property : Involitial Rights for the Protection of Property - one of the elements of Objectivism Property ownership is part of the law system of society (even villages in the Medieval days had such documentation). At minimum, it is needed for 'billings' (who to 'charge' for the property's utilities) - or something like the interface coming into your 'privately owned' space (You pay for your door connecting to the rest of Rapture - the public space). --- --- --- Evolution of New Rapture's Government : ''' '''Phase 1 - Tenenbaum, Johnny and The Thinker - The Idea : * Tenenbaum wasn't interested in being a 'ruler'/'leader'/'represenative', and had too much to do implementing her Cure. She was all for minimizing red-tape and overhead, which impacts getting things done. She still had a recognized influence in many decisions. Her mission was to not just 'Save' Little Sisters, but ALL Splicers from the technology she had discovered and helped create. * "Johnny T" having had basic Civics as a child (in those days they still taught it to grade-schoolers) could wax eloquent, which was hard to do using the Telegraph system he communicated through. His ideas of persuading Citizens using 'a carrot instead of a stick' struck a cord with many of New Rapture's citizens, who generally retained the original reason(s) for why they had come to Rapture in the first place. * The Thinker would be more an arbiter for things like Voting, and systematic maintenance/use of resources (many which it controlled/coordinated). Freedom of the Individual (including itself) formed a logical equation for handling future obstacles. It is still a mystery of whose N-grams were used in the Thinkers programming, which allowed it to achieve Sentience (or a near enough simulation). It was not simply Porter's or his wife's, as those were just simulations overlaid on the main system. * Strong positions of the Initial joining Factions : Fishermen of Neptune (at Neptunes Bounty who kept much of Rapture fed thru its troubles), Hephestus Power Complex (Ryan loyalists with his last orders to keep Rapture alive), The Farmer's Coalition (who resisted the turmoil that broke Old Rapture apart). All of these had previously come to an early alliance against despots like Sofia Lamb and the continuing Chaos. These were the Elements who all came together at that time to rebuild Rapture's new civic entity to continue Ryan's vision. - Phase 2 - Starting of the City Council - (success was declared when noone wanted to show up for the second meeting). * Creating the Constitution and Charter of New Rapture - the Limitations of Power, Recognition of the Individual and their Rights and Responsibilities. * 'The Great Chain' still a model for the Social Contract (Those 'who can', and even can-do-well, move things forward for everyone else. It was what got civilization started in the first place) * The part of Ryan's Philosophy which avoided "Freedom for me, but NOT for thee" government control. * Ryan's goals were not unworkable - minimal government, even if it exists just to see that Rapture's maintenance gets done - should never have been on the back of one man (I would say that if this was portrayed from what you were allowed to see in the Solo games, when it was wrongly portrayed AND never had been explained as IT WOULD HAVE TO EXIST -- there HAD BEEN quite a bit more government institutions than shown/hinted at). The old equation of "Cooperation Equals Survival" is very ancient. - Phase 3 - Citizens Voting on All Key Issues : * The Citizens are New Rapture, and New Rapture is its Citizens. * Commonly held resources - You can be Squatters if you want, but if you don't pay for your power then you are out of luck. Some things need consensus to get done, so to avoid working at 'cross-purposes'. City Decisions deal mostly with the commonly held city resources and maintaining infrastructure. All else is largely left to Citizen initiative (with some encouragement). * Prestige - Civic Service as the pathway to recognition - best to have those making the decisions actually understand what is involve (Why taking your turn shoveling out the sewers is important ...) "If you think you can do better, then show us and do it". * Appointment of 'Representatives' for handling the smaller (fiddly/tedious) implementation detail decisions. * The Ballot that elected a Cat to the Council - Mr Tiddles acted accordingly and went to sleep (his votes were also listed as 'Present') * A empty chair in the Council was kept to symbolize Andrew Ryan's presence. --- --- --- New Rapture Government System (a Historic Model to Borrow Elements From) ''': Athenian Style City State 'Democratic' Institutions (Based on Citizen participation) : * Process as set down in the new City Charter (who figured all this out ?? Some ex-Splicer who had been a historian who was good at explaining how the 'checks and balances' worked ? (( Certainly NOT some game developer who went to school anytime recently who hasn't the faintest clue how American Civics work.)) * Copy of "Roberts Rules of Order" was found somewhere. * Trials/commissions/recognition of achievement * No Slaves in this society and Women have Rights and the Vote. * Declaration of limitations of 'governing body' and governed areas of society. ** Direct participation of Citizens - One Man, One Vote ** Incentives rather than Coercions ** Resources held in common ** Representatives with limited terms and goals Decision making bodies and their domains : * Getting rid of entrenched deciders - minimal government is still the goal (but unlike the farcical system which the Solo games said Rapture ran under, which really just doesn't work for a complex society). You need Written Laws, and some kind of Court and Process to arbitrate them. Authorities to see the laws observed. You cannot run a modern world commercial system on 'handshakes' and then 'do whatever you can get away with'. * Citizen's Assembly - meetings any Citizen can attend (Game would present various generic issues for show.) Shown on New Rapture TV for Citizen/Player 'convenience'. (Rendering any Citizen's excuse of "We Couldn't Know" a Lie). * Council Chamber meetings - where decisions/petitions would be discussed/deliberated by the 'Representatives', then voted upon. ** There will be recognizable 'issue groups' of positions who advocate certain general policies/priorities (ie- Use Taxes, versus General Funds(utility fees), Area expansion vs Building Up of existing areas, Foreign Policy, Rules of Conduct in City Limits, Salvage Laws, etc...) ** Political campaigning/propaganda (citizen voters have to be informed about decisions proposed well ahead of time - TV ads, Radio ads, Newspaper articles/letters, posters, talk from Players to Players) * Secret ballots used - regular votes by ALL Citizens on particular issues/actions, also for electing 'Representatives' (some might be NPCs who espouse a certain position, and others are Players). * Votes by representative made public so the constituents can see how their 'Representatives' voted on the measures. * Jurors selected at random to serve (in large sets like 100 to block potential bribery ...) How this (group consensus mechanism) would fit into the Game -- a dumbed down process, more voluntary/ignorable, 'Vote of the Week' (votes cast remotely, etc ...) With some decisions made for In-Game projects (which use public (City) moneys or target particular goals) : * Priority for things to be fixed/maintained * Public Security/Safety * Speed of City Expansion * Public Income from publicly owned Assets (used for funding 'government' operation) - changes to rents/fees * Maintaining public employees * The question of who owns the buildings in Rapture or rights to the Powergrid - held in common (utility status) Managed City Assets : * City Center institutions (admin/library/hospital/training-center/courthouse/auditorium) * Public Transportation Systems * Buildings * Power-grid/Utility Systems * The Clinic * Excess food/supplies * Public areas * City Security * Weights and Measures Informed populace - Players are to be kept informed about issues/decisions being made (and any votes being made with sufficient lead time for the voters to be informed). --- --- --- '''Decisions That The 'Government' Cannot Control : * Citizens spending their own money as they see fit, minimal taxes. Use-fees for things the Citizens choose to use. * Citizens not to be prevented from setting up/running a business (other than blocked/reserving/arbitrating resources - like a Player reserving/registering a 'store' location on the map). Perhaps bidding (or a lottery) for it, within a specified time limit, IF there was contention. * Citizens not forced to work for the 'State' (its voluntary only, and would be contracted if noone chose to do the necessary maintenance work). * Minimum Control of what 'Free' 'open' resources are used for (The Idea that there is plenty to salvage, and skilled citizens will be able to build new/replacements - using raw materials/components) * 'Government' Cannot block expression of opinion, including paying for media to present ideas to populace (ie- influence voting). * No enforcement of Religion (but no banning of it either, which really wasn't the case under Ryan - remember his 'Only Law' he imposed had little to do with Religion - all the 'seized' crucifixes were because they were SMUGGLED -- not because they were banned, despite what the game writers may have seemed/pretended to portray). * You are 'free' to become a Splicer again. Just that you can't live within New Rapture if you choose that. City Responsibilities : * Safety and Maintenance * Organizing the Security of the Citizen's lives and Property * Organized Improvement/Recovery of The City (and a Civilized Environment) * Furthering the Progress of 'the Cure' (Recovery of Citizens - Their transitioning from barbarism back to Civilization) * Employing bottom rung citizens ("NO EXCUSE" basic subsistence, food for basic work) Citizen Responsibilities (as Part of the Commonly Understood Social Contract) : * Keep the Ordinances Agreed upon. * Protect the City when called upon. * Respect the Rights of Others as you would have THEM respect yours. * Move forward and thus move everyone else forward (The Great Chain) * If you are going to denounce someone for their short commings at least have proof of it. Powers outside of 'Government' : * Voluntary associations enforcing their own rules (within Citizens Rights) * Ryan's surface organization is still assisting the city --- --- --- Government by the Governed : The New Rapture City's well-being requires flexibility and alot of individual initiative, while at the same time long-term coordination and cooperation. Compromising between these would be a constant struggle. City 'politics' often has to do with this kind of issue - not that something should be done, but when and how much resources to prioritize and dedicate (or 'carrot' incentives to get people to do whatever). Coordination would preferably be based on 'volunteers' who make Civic efforts for advancement/Prestige (that old maxim - "You think you can do better? Then show us how. "), as well as innovation and "Necessity is the mother of invention" and alot of "making it up as you go". 'Carrots' necessary to encourage individuals should preferably be the indirect rewards, but public moneys being spent would also be done (and access to certain public resources). New Rapture has more decisions to make than Ryan's Rapture, where an orderly and functional city had existed from the start. The New City has to self organize to return to a stable and safe state. Eventually a more 'hands free' system might be restored. Actually when you think of it originally with only 20000 or 40000 people, Rapture was actually more like a town, where people would be more familiar to each other, and could know what was going on. With more decentralization under Objectivist Libertarianism, public decisions would be made more local. The Agora or Forum (or Town Square) where Citizens met to talk and find out what was going on, and for the Citizens to make decisions. In our modern age, television was beginning to fulfill this role as time went on. Talking/discussion needs to be both ways though - a place for Citizens to talk amongst themselves. 100 citizens pulled off the street to hear a 'trial' (City Jury duty is expected/an obligation) A larger pool gathered and then the required number were chosen at random (fairly - they still have the simple machines in museums the Ancient Athenians used for this). May need to be a smaller number, as New Rapture's population isn't overly large and imposing the duty shouldn't be made constant. Council members to make proposals (and an open process from any Citizen) Council member to vote on minor/detail decisions - delegation/representatives (special conditions for 'external' relations) Qualification for 'council member' is via the City Prestige system (qualification via public works/offices) overseeing routine decision process - able to present ideas/proposals submitted. A few persons (like Tenembaum and 'Johnny', if he ever reappears) have permanent council member status. Reports from special groups/commissions (intelligence group, civic art committee, heads of various city offices) are posted. --- --- --- How Would/Might Player Government Involvement Work Within the Game ?? ' : Anybody can look at Posted Reports and lists of Current Decision Issues (as well as current/pending events/votes). Player Voting (as a mechanism) to give Players some impact in the flow/direction of the game, where their voting will actually shape (roughly) what happens. Things like setting Priority/Direction of what development projects for the City ATTEMPTS to carry out (spend City money/resources on, and directed organization) would likely be most of them. Fortunately, such Citizen-wide voting isn't supposed to be an everyday thing, so as to not burden the Players with it too much (or give undue influence to a few Players who pay attention to it when the majority of Players ignore it). A reasonably long submission time (and levels of impact - Big vs Little Votes) would exist to catch infrequent Players (ie- Post issues at the Start-of-Week, and Votes get registered/counted at its end, and THAT issue is decided, implementation started and is given some time before another Vote changes its course/continuance). Whatever is Voted upon has to be enacted "In the Game" by NPCs, which means the game mechanism(s) must support this behavior. Players themselves will be able to create/select appropriate Vote Issues (Player Asset Creation should be able to add-new-ones/variations/have-a-large-supply of them to pick from). Templates for Vote Issues would exist, and when they are appropriate to the City's happenings/situation can be activated. (Game devs ? We need to involve them as little as possible. Instead they will 'vet' everything that becomes part of this system, as is done with everything else Players Create ...) Player Vote 'Issue' submission would easiest/workably have to follow Project formulas to be able to match what the game system can handle (ex - "Increase City service X in area Y." or "Open building Z to salvage." or " For City Property, Lower Rent Charges X% for X period" - would be simple ones). Example Vote Issue : Budget items for consideration to put City (tax) moneys towards - either general activities (ie- expanding the working AE Train tracks - hiring Players or paying for materials/tools ...), or a specific standard/templatized project a Players has put forward/proposed (submitted to City Hall committee) (ie- Fixup building XYZ, or add a new Security Station in a section of "The Border", or in "The Edge", or a 'Festival' event of some sort -- Hmm, utilizing Behavior Scripts for NPCs to put up certain flavors/themes of decorations, and go to certain spots on 'Festivals', special activities, etc...). Note - Semi-intelligent logic using 'Planner' type AI can figure out what things need to be done before-other-things to get a VOTED goal completed (Generic Game NPCs will use this kind of thing alot - its a Fundamental Advancement of game technology). The logic is spelled out and traced through to figure out what and when things need to be done, and even what situations can block progress (to coin a phrase -- "It ain't Rocket Science ...", but still takes alot of work to create). Player Involvement - There should be some reasonable default options to be done, if Players decide NOT to participate (A Prestige point system would bring in at least some activity for the Voting process). Public Posting of all Voted decision, and then Project Details and Progress. Council Members would (be required to) Vote more frequently on implementation 'details' (may largely be activating postings of 'Missions' for Players to handle a Project's problems/tasks). With priorities previously decided, that might be largely automated (with predefined Missions for all kinds of normal City operation things). Some actions might be Council Members personally handling/organizing certain City tasks (and calling upon other Players to assist) - like inspections and 'fact finding'. Normal activities include automatic publishing of the Vote decisions and tracking/reporting the progression for running the Projects. There are ongoing City Projects which would be default 'decisions' - if there is a gap in Player interest/participation in this Voting stuff : maintaining The Clinic, reinforcing City security, redevelopment in areas adjacent to existing City limits, basic City maintenance - ("someone has to scrub the toilets" -- in 1956 someone came up with a machine for that ...). Emergencies are usually handled ''ad hoc - no time for deliberation. Council Members (when playing) have the duty to personally organize reactions to emergencies and to direct resources (communications are sent and inactivity (on these emergencies) lowers your performance scores - the Free Press may ridicule your Negligence). To encourage Player 'Voting' you might award 'Civic' brownie points (their Civic Duty) for doing it, but then Players may just vote randomly just to get those points. Probably awarding it for voting the first time just as an incentive for the Player to go see what the process/interface is (and maybe see it isn't tedious and possible has some interest for them as an activity). Ditto for the 'Voting issue' submission process. Elected officials (being a Voting popularity contest usually) may only be for Ceremonial Offices like the Grand Poobah of the Rapture Anniversary Party (previously most often held by Sander Cohen). There could be named 'political' factions within the City which represent the primary approaches to many solutions : * 'Expansionists' - who want to improve the Cities situation in its available resources * 'Curists' - who want to maximize resources going to curing more Splicers - to save them soonest * 'Epicureans' - who think the quality of life is important for the existing population * 'Minimalists' - who want as little government intervention as possible Represenatives seeking election to the City Council are constantly expounding their positions to convince the populace to delare for their agenda. - Any restrictive Laws/Ordinances should have to be enforced automatically (else they are ignored), which means game mechanic changes/additions/improvements - with Enforcements enabled/disabled depending on the City's accepted (voted) decisions (and some just solidly set to prevent some weird Free-For-All at Players whim). Some implementations may just be attribute adjustments to some existing enforcement logic (equivalent to a simple 'speed limit', where just the speed number and type of area need be changed.) Something like 'Responsibility for Property Damage' might have classification defined and ranges of damage criteria and Penalties (amount and type), which can be adjusted fairly simply. Fines for a spectrum of crimes could be such a candidate programmed mechanism (Monetary as well as 'Jailtime' penalties). Situational considerations : Example of - a Splicer getting loose in the City Center and Players doing damage while trying to apprehend it - what liability for the damage caused and how does the game system discern when such a situation is in-effect ('Clever' Players could use/create an 'emergency' just to trash alot of things intentionally ... You KNOW they (some Players) will try to do things like that.) Some background activity might have ordinary NPCs (and non-Player media stuff) talking/mentioning the Political Issues relevant to the current City situation (and political situation). That gives them something different to talk about (but they shouldn't become parrots, endlessly spewing the same thing). A same kind of in-game 'mentioning' might be done about City Project accomplishments (or failures) or commendable 'civic duties' completed by individual Players/Groups. --- --- --- '''Management of Common Resources and Financing City Operation : The New Rapture City government's first priority is the job of securing, managing, inspecting and overseeing the maintenance of the City, using funds taken in, paid by citizens/companies for rent and utilities and various use-taxes/fees ( like those for transportation and legal filings/posting of paperwork used to arbitrate ownership and resource assignments ). As you might expect, such expenses would be minimized and thus prioritized the funding is important. Original owners of building are gone. Utilities (delivery of Heat and Power and water, sewers) are supplied from the geothermal power systems (at least upto the junction boxes/utility core in buildings - from there individuals have to provide for their local usage). The utilities have their own upkeep costs for personnel and equipment. "Don't work, Don't eat" Rule : a basic subsistence tax - allocation of responsibility/duty of individuals supplied either by direct labor or a standard payment 'body tax' (which is used to pay someone else to do the 'duty'). There are minimum maintenance safety standards for any owned building, with inspections for public safety (proper pressure integrity and bulkhead seal mechanism. If minimums are not met then there is no access using the shared transportation paths (which the disregard for safety standards imperils). The extent which Government intrudes upon the Individual is decided by consensus and is subject to adjustments. Since the Citizenry votes for such things, they usually vote to minimize expenditures due from themselves. Those wishing to not be subject to the restrictions decided by consensus can if they wish live elsewhere in Rapture. Voluntary action is encouraged and the government acts more as an arbiter and coordinator. City Hall serves as a sounding board for Player achievements and City improvements. Is building up YOUR city which YOU live in 'Altruism' ? Is competing to show your ability to rebuild 'Altruism' ? Is restoring a stable environment where your future achievement beyond mere subsistence 'Altruism' ?? Recognition for such and esteem/acknowledgement is another kind of currency. --- --- --- Individual Property Rights (and Group Property Rights) : Maintaining Property Rights is important to those who came to Rapture. There is a line which defines What is Private and What is Public. Identifying which is which is one function of order in New Rapture. Discerning from before the time of Chaos is epistemologically problematic (are you even who you were from that 'time before' ? ) Current Property Right thus must pragmatically hold sway. Facilitating Public records is an age old function of 'Government'. --- --- --- Official Hall of Records of New Rapture : * Votes/Results taken by City Government * Current City Projects and Open Bids * Archives of New Rapture (reflecting actual Player activity). * City Finance Statistics * City Project Milestones * Hall of Achievement where Players who have assisted the City's rebuilding are acknowledged * Timeline of established Laws and Ordinances * Jail Records * New Rapture Memorial to those who died fighting to save Rapture from 'the Parasites' * New Rapture City Registry of Births/Marriage/Deaths - Hatch, Match and Dispatch (an old government joke) * Census Information mechanism to eliminate bureaucracy ??? * City Directory Various information would be located here which the Player could make use of (requiring the MMORPG to have some clever interfaces to access it -- WITHOUT it being a typical inept government nightmare). The DYNAMIC information for this would have to be organized within the structure of the MMORPG to be involved in the game world (automatic/programmed accumulation/extraction of relevant data would have to be done - the Labor of game writers(employees) is expensive, so having this info extracted/maintained via program would be a better idea. --- --- --- Dialogs (a Game Asset Control Mechanism) to Support Rapture Bureaucrat-isms : Unfortunately New Rapture, like any modern city, still runs on paperwork (as did Rapture) and requires the Players to supply and access information. The tedious role of a Bureaucrat - NPCs need to be able to fulfill that function (So as to NOT require Players to). The Dialog mechanism is the appropriate avenue, with : * Its capability for the Player to navigate interactively thru selections of options * For scripting to intelligently control (logic) the available selections depending on situational factors * Versatility to present information different ways (including annoying attitude of petty functionaries). * Another Dialog feature would be the collection of inputs from the player -- not just from the selections made, but text/numeric inputs that can fill in a 'form' that would become 'paperwork' used in various City interactions (and pulldowns populated with options gathered from the players game situation). Example Interactions : * Registering a Business Name * Submitting a Claim of Salvage (map location entered or some kind of 'claim' flag marker placed previously) * Submitting a Claim of Rebuilding * Signing up for Training Programs * Candidacy for a Public Office * Searches thru public records * Job assignment (Player signs up for city job or a job from an NPC) * Request for City Resource * Collecting on a City Bounty Standard Paper forms (and instructions) can be supplied to allow player to see any required fill-in information types so that they can be ascertained ahead of time (the paper forms can also be filed independently (in-person and by mail) Fees may apply for filing various paperwork (fees largely pay for government operation). Reciepts added automatically to Players records. --- --- --- Intelligence Center in New Rapture City Hall : * Situation/status display of known Splicer groups and factions (overlaid on current maps marking Citizen territory) * Special "Group of Five" who oversee Raptures Security concerns, can give special missions to experienced operators to interdict 'problem' Splicers. * New Survey information and Intelligence gathering are analyzed for risks that need 'handling'. * Threat Chart (the Big Status Board - tokens being pushed around on a big map like in the WW2 movies) - indicates any developing 'dangerous' areas. * Coordination of Player missions to help identify and handle 'threats'. --- --- --- Minting Rapture Money : * Money has to be something not easily duplicated (not a problem in a computer game unless we allow 'forgery' - Might be but only 'faked' in a Head Constable 'crime' Quest) - But what might it be in Rapture?? * Artificial game Balancing of the economy can always be done to keep the game flowing (and compensate for endcase 'pendulum swings' that would end in ruin for a inflexible absolute economic System in game). * Money based on 'Fish' (specie with value) - initial use was work 'chits' given to workers for daily pay (instead of handing them a fish) allowed workers to save some and use for trades of other items enterprising individuals started producing in the spare time. * Old Money based on 'specie' (MADE of valuable materials - Gold/Silver/etc...) WOULD still have inerrant value. * Perhaps : Several dozen bottle-caps of a particular trendy 'Nostrum' was used until someone found a large pile of them in a shop. By then, sufficient machinery was back in operation to allow 'minting' (restamping old coins) the Dole Tokens and later unique currency units (which over time were further refined sufficiently to prevent forgery. * Old Money (if paper/base-metal) still to be found is 'Null and Void' - Could not be used in initial 'Fort Rapture' Economy, as it was extremely common. Still, some Slot Machines in the City operate with the Old Money (just for fun since the Old Money payout is virtually worthless). Machines found in 'the Wild' still use the old money (if you can find one that hasn't been emptied for a VERY long time). --- --- --- --- --- . .